Note: Hey everyone! In this chapter I am sure you will find a few surprising things! heheh. That is all I have to say about the chapter...

Thanks once again to all my reveiwers! please keep reveiwing and I hope I continue to make this story a good one!

Disc: Don't own FF7, Square does. Lucky.


Chapter 5:

The Journey Begins


The clock beside me read 3 A.M., a sign telling me that I should have been asleep by now. If it were any other day I would be, but today I was leaving with Sephiroth. I would leave Cloud behind. He didn't believe me anyway.

"Sephiroth is dead! $!&, Tifa!"

Sephiroth had told me that were were to leave this morning, and since that moment I haven't been able to get any sleep. I was expecting to go meet Sephiroth outside in about 4-5 hours, and I could tell now that I would be tired as hell. It wasn't a good way to start out a long journey.

I placed my head down on my cool pillow. I needed to get sleep, any sleep. If I wanted to stand in the morning, this was my best bet. Sleep.

I closed my eyes, trying desperately to let myself get comfortable. I was tense and that was not making the job any easier.

"Tifa." A deep voice was calling out my name. It was Sephiroth.

My heart started racing. This was nothing new. For some reason now, anytime we were alone together I would either feel extremely angry or very nervous.

What was he doing in my room anyway?

"Ugh?", I replied, turning over and sitting up to seek him out in the dark. His mako eyes were the only things visible.

I felt a small yawn escape my lips. I had to fight my body not to lay back down again, fight not to let the sleep I had just been longing for take over.

"It's time to go."

Time to go? I glanced back over at my clock, the numbers burning in my eyes. 3:26 in the morning.

"Are you kidding me?", I replied, shocked and exausted. "I haven't even gotten any sleep!"

"That is your fault.", came his bitter voice. My nervousness quickly turned to anger.

"Why do we have to leave so early, I can barely keep my eyes open!"

My eyes had started adjusting to the darkness and I could see Sephiroth clearly now. He had on a black sweater and pants, almost covered in his black trench. His attire was very morbid, but what else would you expect from a guy like him?

Sephiroth was, however, very attractive in the clothing.

Sephiroth now saw that I was staring at him, causing me to blush slightly. Ah, caught in the act.

Sephiroth kneeled down, our faces only inches apart. Once again, my emotions changed as a nervous feeling came over my body. Sometimes it was hard to pin point the things that would bring this nervousness upon me, but I felt as if this time it was obvious. Having Sephiroth so close made me both curious and disgusted. I can't say that I liked Sephiroth, but I did find him exciting and attractive. I also couldn't forget his past, no matter how much he had changed.

He had killed my father, you know.

"Imagine if Cloud were to see you leaving. What would he say when you told him you were leaving with me, the man he can't see? I'm sure you'd be in an insane asylum faster then we could escape. Meet me outside in 10 minutes, Miss. Lockhart."

And with that statement, Sephiroth turned and exited the room.

I whispered curses to myself under my breath, remembering the lack of sleep I was fighting. I slowly got out of bed and pulled on my usual attire; black shorts and a white top. Why did Sephiroth have to be so bossy?

I dragged myself out of the house to see Sephiroth waiting outside with our few necessary items for the trip. He hauled them over his back, turning to see that I had finally gotten up.

"That was 11 minutes. Let's go already.", he mumbled.

Sephiroth started walking towards the exit of the town, all the suppiles on his back. Seeing him with the load on his back made me smile slightly, as if he were trying to show off or something.

My eyes tried to close themselves once again. Things were getting out of hand.

"Sephiroth, you don't mean to tell me we are walking the whole way, and at night in the cold?"

"What? You had something else in mind", he replied cooly, turning back to me.

I ran to the side of the house where Cloud's chocobo lay asleep. Grabbing some of the chocobo feed, I went over to it silently. One of it's large eyes looked at me and it walked over to me, accepting the food graciously. I pulled the chocobo out of it's stall and made my way over to Sephiroth.

"Cloud's chocobo!"

"You can't be serious..."

I now saw something I would have never thought to see in my life. Sephiroth started to blush, a deep pink colour cascading over his pale cheeks.

"Only one chocobo?"

I could see now that he was implying that we would have to ride together. Closely. The thought of that making Sephiroth blush seemed to make me laugh. It was actually rather cute.

"Scared, Sephiroth?"

I could see Sephiroth turn cold at this remark, as his features turned very serious. This made me laugh, out loud this time.

"Just shut up and get on."

I waited as Sephiroth jumped onto the large chocobo, and then turned to me holding out a gloved hand. I was surprised by this gesture, but took his hand willingly. He pulled me up as if I were nothing, a simple feather or pebble off the ground. His stregnth surprised me, even after I had fought him years ago.

We started to move out and I could feel myself become increasingly tired as we left my hometown. I wanted too look back and say goodbye, but I forced myself not to. Now was not the time to get in a depressed mood. I had to save the world.

A short nap sounded like a perfect thing, but was difficult considering the space allowed on the chocobo. I decided that I didn't care. Sephiroth would just have to learn to deal with me.

I wrapped my arms around his wasit. I instantly could feel his body stiffen, surprised.

"So...I never expected you to be a theif, Miss. Lockhart."

A theif? Me? What was wrong with this guy.

"You stole Cloud's prized chocobo", Sephiroth said turning to look back at me, noting the confused look on my face.

I guess I had never thought of it as stealing, but he was right. I couldn't have asked for the chocobo anyway.

"I...I guess you're right.", I said, noticing a small chuckle escape Sephiroth's lips.

I rested my head on his back and tightened my grip around him. I didn't feel like talking anymore, I felt like sleeping.

"I'm taking a nap. I hope you don't mind."

Sephiroth just shook his head as I fell asleep there, resting on his warm body.


When I woke up I found the chocobo coming to a slow stop, bouncing Sephiroth and I around. I had been asleep for only a few hours and was still slightly tired. I still had my arms wrapped around Sephiroth's torso, and I was ready to fall back to sleep. Well, I was.

"You're awake."

I guess I would have to wait until later to go back to sleep. I pulled myself away from Sephiroth's body, sitting up and stretching. I pulled my arms high abovemy head and let out a deep yawn as Sephiroth jumped off the chocobo. I could see now as I looked around that we were in a large clearing in the middle of the forest. The sun shone brightly on this spot and it looked very welcoming.

"Why are we stopping?", I questioned.

"It needs a rest", he replied tying up the chocobo. "Wouldn't have needed to stop if we would have walked like I had proposed."

"Of course we would have! Everyone needs to rest sometime."

Sephiroth only huffed and turned to me, looking at me.

A sly smile spread across his face.

"That's right. I forgot I had a woman with me."

I started feeling angry, and my fists seemed to flame as I clenched them into small balls. The nerve of that man!

"You take that back!"

The smile seemed to grow upon his face as he walked in front of me, placing his head next to mine.

Again, my heart raced. Now was not the time to be feeling nervous. He was insulting me and my stregnth, and I was growing angrier by the second.

His smooth lips brushed against my ear as he whispered.

"Make me, Miss. Lockhart."

Pulling away, I could see him preparing for whatever I would try to do. I know in no manner could I hurt him, he was far stonger.

"You know, you are a free man now! There is no reason to be a little heartless &!$#!"

I knew I had struck a chord when the smile was removed from his face. I couldn't help but feel slightly victorious.

Sephiroth slowly turned away with a fire in his eyes, leaving.

Now I didn't feel so great. I felt mean. I hated that feeling.

I follwed Sephiroth to find him sitting under a tree, still looking angry. This trip had been going so well, and I decided not to let this ruin it.

I sat down beside him and slowly turned to face him. I could see him now looking at me, though sideways.

"Sephiroth...I, uh..." I tried to find the words to apologize, but found nothing.

"Save it. You are right. The problem is simple. I have always been cold, even before JENOVA. I was never normal you know, so I guess I was always angry. I didn't open up to people much, and I could never get close to them. I teased people a lot. I was rude."

His words made me sad, and seeing him so upset made me more so. Why I felt this way, I didn't know.

"Tifa, I...apologize for the comment I made. You have been very kind to me, and I show nothing but cruelty."

I could feel tears forming in my eyes over these words. It wasn't his fault he didn't know how to handle being with other people.

Sephiroth finally turned to me, seeing me in the worst condition as tears began to roll down my face. I don't know what had brought it on, perhaps exaustion, but I began crying very loudly.

"Hey, I didn't mean to make you..." I cut him off, wrapping my arms around him. I felt sorry for him and yet I felt like the one that was having to be comforted.

Sephiroth wrapped an awkward arm around my back, pulling me closer to him. I rested my head on his chest as we both leaned back on the tree, letting it hold us up. Even though I was crying, I felt extremely happy at that moment. I felt as if I was breaking down the boundaries Sephiroth had had for so long. I began to close my eyes once again.

Of course, Sephiroth just had to say something.

"While I have your attention", he began, "it may be dangerous for you to talk to me in public, since it seems as if Hojo and yourself are the only ones who can currently see me. I have brought something along."

Sephiroth pulled out what looked like two clear contact lenses from a trenchcoat pocket with the hand that wasn't wrapped around me. I looked curiously at them. What could they possibly be for?

"These", he said, placing one into his eye, "Will allow us to communicate without having to say a word. If there is anything you wish to say, only think of saying it to me, and I will hear you. It works the opposite way as well."

"Communicating mentally? You can't read my thoughts or anything, can you?", I asked, pulling my head up slightly to place the lense in my eye.

"Not unless you send your thoughts to me willingly, Miss. Lockhart."

I smiled, laying my head back down on Sephiroth's chest. I decided to test the communicators out.

"Deep down Sephiroth, I think your really a big softie."

I could see that he had recieved my message, because he responed almost immediatly.

"It would now seem so...but I'll will let you think as you please..."

"TIFA!"

The sudden messgae and it's urgency made me sit up quickly, feeling Sephiroth's hands cup my face. Our gaze locked on each other and I found myself drowning into the pools of green.

It was then that Sephiroth kissed me. Yes, THE Sephiroth.

The kiss was hard, almost violent. I can't say that I didn't enjoy it though. The feeling of his lips on mine sent shivers up and down my spine.

As he pulled away, laying back down, as another one of his smirks came upon his face.

Sephiroth and I had just kissed, and I enjoyed it immensely.

Surely, I am going crazy.


Well, please R&R, hope you liked all the surprises!